Cohiba XV 652

[rashire]

I just got a small 3 pack Cohiba(Dominican) sampler delivered to the house today and when I opened it up I was left questioning the quality of this one cigar. It appears spotted and very lumpy, it may just be because I'm still new to cigars, but I just want to make sure I don't need to return this. My cameras not that good but below are some pictures I took of it. Thanks in advance to any advice given.

 

[rashire]

Sorry to bump, but any advice on if the spots are mold(they don't much look like it to me) or anything bad would be appreciated.

Like I said I'm still rather new to cigar's, especially storing them. So I've never seen any cigar that had spots like this or even a change in color along the stick, to to mention one as lumpy as this. I'm mostly afraid it could be being eaten(read to many horror stories maybe?) I'd return it straight away, but I'm afraid it may just be how the cigar is made.

Is something wrong with the stick the above picture? Should I return it? Any advice I can get would be much appreciated.

 

[Q_The_Cop]

To be honest I didn't even read your post... I was to busy staring at your avatar...

Try putting some over all pics up. Maybe some better lighting too. Kinda hard to tell with the pics being so dark.

 

[fivebyfifty]

With the pics looks like just a bumpy wraper.

 

[rashire]

Well I took a few more pics, about the best i can do with my camera, but I used the flash this time.

White spots definitely show up better with camera farther away and flash on. Still curious if this is a issue with the stick or just how this particular one is made.

Thanks for taking the time to give it a look. Just wanna make sure if I smoke this it won't be bad for me. ???

 

[fivebyfifty]

The flash makes it look like plume. Can the spots be rubed off easy. Moald I have seen is fluffy and can be wiped off easy.A more experenced person can tell you more.

 

[rashire]

I didn't try to wipe if off at all, I didn't wanna damage it cause I figured if something was indeed wrong with it they might not except a return. But the spots look kind of like they are in the leaf a bit. They don't really stick out much, although they do petrude(sp?) a little. I'm probably over reacting too but I did do a lot of humidor reading and don't wanna put these in my box if something might go wrong.

When I get home, I guess I can poke at one a bit and see if it comes off.

To be honest I didn't even read your post... I was to busy staring at your avatar...

Thanks I love this animation.

Fullsize for enjoyment:

 

[rashire]

Just got home, picked at it a bit lightly with a fingernail and seems to indeed be in the outer leaf, nothing comes off when scratching at it. They don't seem like holes either just kinda dots embedded in the leaf, really wishing I could find a decent picture of this online to compare. I also noticed that leaving these out in the case it came with has dried them out a little, so I guess I'll stop being pessimistic and put them in the humidor already before I actually ruin them.

For the time being I'll just assume its how this cigar is made unless someone stops by to say otherwise.

Thanks to those who chimed in with help and apologizes for being such a pessimist, I'm just trying to make sure everything is perfect.

Also I may as well ask this noob question here instead of starting yet another thread. Do cigars get humidified properly while still in plastic? I don't have many cigars but their all different so I don't want them marrying, but I do want them to stay at the proper RH.

 

[Kingantz]

That's some serious looking damaged wrapper leaf, like maybe diseased while growing and then dried/fermented that way. I dunno, weird.

Cigars will humidify fine with the cellophane on it as it does breathe. I'll take and cut the end of the cello off right below the foot just so it'll be able to breathe better. I don't worry about cigars marrying, unless you have something like Acids in there. You don't have Acids in there, right?

 

[rashire]

That's some serious looking damaged wrapper leaf, like maybe diseased while growing and then dried/fermented that way. I dunno, weird.

Cigars will humidify fine with the cellophane on it as it does breathe. I'll take and cut the end of the cello off right below the foot just so it'll be able to breathe better. I don't worry about cigars marrying, unless you have something like Acids in there. You don't have Acids in there, right?

Now you have me worried again...

If cellophane breaths then I'll leave it on then, everything I read said if you left them together they'd mix tastes so I'll stay on safe side, plus if something actually wrong with this less chance of spreading I suppose.

Acid? Was it a bad idea to sprinkle HNO3 over the sticks then? :whistling:

Thanks for the input.